It’s been almost two weeks since we dropped our first Tokyo Auto Salon 2025 story, and as you might be aware, a few changes are underway here at Speedhunters…
We teased a site ‘refresh’ a couple of days ago, and while we know the forthcoming redesign might not be for everyone, it’s all part of a bigger plan. This update serves a crucial purpose as we migrate to a proper CMS and implement additional features throughout the year.
One of the first big changes is the return of the Speedhunters store, which has been offline for an achingly long time. This relaunch isn’t without its (initial) limitations though.
We know there are plenty of you outside the US eager for official Speedhunters merch, and we’re working hard on expanding our shipping coverage in the near future. The same goes for product availability; this time-limited initial drop is just the beginning, with plenty more to come very soon.
But let’s get back to what matters right now – Tokyo Auto Salon. 2025 was another chaotic year for both the show itself and the greater Tokyo area, which hosted numerous meets, gatherings, and events surrounding TAS.
By now, you’ve probably checked out Alec’s coverage of the Underground Tokyo meet. And while it was a bit more low-key this year, RWB still gathered its owners on the Thursday before Tokyo Auto Salon kicked off. Then, in the days that followed, Nissan opened the doors of their Zama Heritage Collection for a special viewing.
As for TAS itself, you’ve already seen most of the heavy hitters from 2025, including the Liberty Walk Miura and the Kaido Racer-style R32 Skyline. Toby gave us the full kei car madness treatment, and we even got a glimpse of a wild Toyota Sera project – packing both a turbo SR20VET and a turbo K20A, no less. Alec also scoured the Makuhari Messe car park, because, let’s face it, anyone heading to Tokyo Auto Salon is as obsessed with cars as we are.
One thing we didn’t cover in our first event report was a car that lit up the comments section: Rocket Bunny’s Lotus Elise. Unlike other Kei Miura creations, this build goes far beyond a wide-body kit – though, ironically, that’s the one thing we haven’t seen yet. Instead, this Elise features a custom subframe kit on both axles, with the rear housing an EJ25 Subaru motor and a transaxle for good measure. Why? Well, aside from being completely bonkers, this Rocket Bunny build will be competing in time attack events this year. Don’t worry, we’ll have a full spotlight once it’s ready for action.
Before we dive into a final TAS 2025 giganto gallery, there was one more car from the comments we had to address: an all-carbon C10 Nissan Skyline stationed at the Star Aero Parts stand.
This isn’t the first carbon-clad Hakosuka we’ve featured. Cast your mind back a few years and you might remember Dino’s story on the Rocky Auto version. But Star Aero’s build, dubbed the ‘Hakos Carbon,’ is a whole different beast. It features dry carbon panels that can be ordered directly from Star Aero, making it almost a complete Hakosuka build without relying on a single original panel.
Given how expensive these cars have become – and how insane prices for stock panels are now – opting for dry carbon alternatives could save you a fair amount, with the bonus of being far lighter.
And if that wasn’t enough to fuel your carbon fibre cravings, get a load of the S15 Silvia next to it. That’s sporting a full Super GT-inspired aero kit, which, just like the Hakosuka kit, is also available for order directly from Star Aero Parts.
As we move toward the end of the month, we’ll wrap up our Japan Month 2025 theme with a few more spotlights, including a rare HKS Zero-R that’s surfaced out of hiding, and a road-legal Lamborghini Diablo GT2, meticulously prepared by K-Engineering. But until then, we hope you’ve enjoyed our Tokyo Auto Salon 2025 coverage.
Mark Riccioni
Instagram: mark_scenemedia
Twitter: markriccioni
mark@speedhunters.com
Tokyo Auto Salon 2025 on Speedhunters
